Demand for ever increasing realism and detail in computer-implemented video games seems to drive the growth of computer performance. Unlike computer animation and movie rendering which can process individual scenes over time for playback at a higher frame rate, computer-implemented video games and computer-implemented simulators must render complete, three-dimensional (3D) scenes of a virtual world in real time, typically at a rate of thirty (30) frames per second or better. The scenes are rendered in real time in the sense that each scene typically depends in part on user-generated input signals, for example, through physical manipulation of a user input device such as a game controller, which are not predictable prior to generating the sequence of scenes. By producing and immediately displaying such scenes responsive to user-generated input signals, a virtual 3D world responsive to, and interactive with, the user is presented.
This demand has led to the development of increasingly sophisticated and speedy graphics processors for personal computers and specialized computer systems typically referred to as video game systems. Such systems come in three primary forms: Personal computer (PC) systems, Game Console systems (for example, Microsoft XboxOne®, Sony PlayStation4®, Nintendo WiiUTM) and Hand-Held Game Systems (for example Nintendo 3DS, Sony PSP).
The computer-implemented game marketplace is highly competitive. Game players will readily switch to a game which has a more realistic and entertaining experience. Thus, any improvement in rendering efficiency which allows a game to get more content into a virtual world without sacrificing frame rate due can represent a significant competitive advantage in the marketplace.